Research into Ageing, the biomedical research arm of Help the Aged, said the work could benefit significant numbers of the 150,000 people who suffer a stroke annually.

Many stroke patients suffer frightening disruption to their semantic memory, the brain system that controls understanding of the meanings of words, pictures, objects and faces.

The new research will explore the underlying causes, with the aim of identifying new rehabilitation strategies.

In the work, psychologist Elizabeth Jefferies, at York University, will explore if memory still exists but can no longer be accessed in the normal way.

If her team find this to be the case, they hope to explore ways of retraining the brain to improve comprehension.

Helen Rippon, of Research into Ageing, said: "Losing the ability to understand the world around you and to communicate with others is devastating, yet an all too often side effect of stroke.

"The work we're funding is ground-breaking and could hugely improve the treatment options available to people who are living with the condition."